OR AD ‘inundated’ with emails supporting football

By John Doyle

jdoyle@fosters.com

fosters.com

By John Doyle

jdoyle@fosters.com

Posted Mar. 23, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By John Doyle

jdoyle@fosters.com

Posted Mar. 23, 2013 at 3:15 AM

DURHAM — Momentum is building toward the establishment of a football program at Oyster River High School, but the process is just starting and has a long way to go, according to athletic director Corey Parker.

“I think it’s a strong possibility,” Parker said. “But I don’t want to rush into a sport like football where there are a lot more questions that need to be answered.”

Parker said his office has been inundated with emails supporting the idea.

“There’s a strong sense of enthusiasm over the last few weeks,” Parker said.

At a recent School Board meeting, a committee was tasked with exploring the feasibility of starting a football team at Oyster River, which will work between now and June and bring before the board its findings.

The board heard from a number of those in favor of the idea, including Thomas Burd, who is part of a group known as Friends of Oyster River Football. The group hopes to establish a club football team that will play a junior-varsity schedule before becoming a full-fledged varsity program.

“Going varsity right away would be throwing children to the wolves,” Burd said. “As a club team we’d play at the JV level for one or two years, grow a strong base.”

Burd said that the Oyster River Youth Association has provided youth football for enough years to justify having a varsity program at the high school level.

“After five years of building a new program, the demand to play football is there,” Burd said.

Burd said there are about 35-40 potential football players currently enrolled at Oyster River, and about 150 more waiting in the wings at the middle-school level.

“Our main strength is going to be kids who are currently in middle school,” he said.

With an enrollment of about 700 students, Oyster River is one of the largest schools in New Hampshire that does not offer football. The school opened in 1956.

Parker said it’s a “strong possibility” that the school will someday support a football team.

“Needs change,” Parker said. “Student development and the growth of sports change, and we’re in the business of providing opportunities for our kids.”

Burd said that the program would be self-funded through booster club fundraising, gates and concessions. He said the plan would be for Oyster River to play its home games at Cowell Stadium at the University of New Hampshire.

“If we got to the point where we could build a football stadium with a track and a soccer field, that would be a great position to be in,” he said.